Socioeconomic status and birth weight: comparison of an area-based measure with the Registrar General's social class

摘要

Objective-To compare the relation of birth weight with socioeconomic status measured by an area-based measure of material deprivation and by the Registrar General's social class. Setting-West Midlands Health Region 1991-93. Study design-Retrospective cohort Study. Method-Birthweight data by enumera- tion district deciles ranked by Townsend Deprivation Index based on 1991 census Data for all live births in the West Midlands Health Region were studied in Three consecutive whole year births co- Horts, 1991 to 1993 and by Registrar General's social class in a 10/100 sample of Live births (within marriage and jointly Registered, provided by the Office of National Statistics) in the same region for The same period. Estimated proportions of Births <2500 g and 3500 g" attributable" To social inequalities were compared for Both socioeconomic status measures. The Proportion of infants in each birthweight Group were calculated for both measures. Relative risk (95/100 confidence intervals) of Birth in each birthweight groups for lowest Versus highest socioeconomic status Groups were calculated.